Storylines abundant as Preseason Thunder begins (cont'd)

Four former open-wheel stars will run full time in the Cup Series for the first time in their career: 2007 Indy 500 and IRL champ Dario Franchitti will pilot the No. 40 Dodge for Chip Ganassi Racing; Indy 500 champ and 1997 Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve will drive the No. 27 Bill Davis Racing Toyota; champ car driver Patrick Carpentier is in the Gillett Evernham No. 10 Dodge and three-time IRL champ Sam Hornish Jr. will drive the No. 77 Penske Dodge.

Add to that A.J. Allmendinger and Juan Montoya, both in their second year and you could see 13 percent of a race's field as former open-wheel stars.

Autostock

David Stremme

Out in the cold

In 2008, NASCAR will see as many as five former open-wheel stars run full-time in the Cup Series. Bill Kimm says this infusion of open-wheelers is leaving some good drivers without well-deserved rides.

• Complete story, click here
• 2008 Silly Season

While their success can't be questioned, their experience in a stock car can. Not one of the four drivers making their Cup debut this season has spent a full season in the Nationwide or Truck Series. Combined, the four drivers have 33 starts among NASCAR's top-three national series and 14 of them were DNFs.

While everyone in the garage will welcome these newcomers, there is concern that their inexperience will lead to mishaps on the track. Throw on to that the newness of the COT and this '08 season has all the ingredients for a wild one.

Much can be learned at Preseason Thunder, both for the new drivers coming in, but also for the veterans to see just what these open-wheel stars have behind the wheel of a much heavier car.

Who's got what it takes?

The 2007 season can be summed up in two words: Hendrick dominance. As a team, Hendrick drivers won 18 of the 36 races, an astounding 50 percent, a Cup Series record for a season. Jimmie Johnson brought home his second consecutive Cup championship, while Jeff Gordon finished second and Kyle Busch fifth. Casey Mears was the only HMS driver to not make the Chase, but he finished just outside it in 15th.

The Car of Tomorrow was a huge factor in Hendrick's success. The team won the first five COT races of the season and went on to win nine of 2007's 16 COT events.

Looking at 2008, Hendrick has to be considered the one to beat again. The COT goes full time plus it added NASCAR's most popular driver in Dale Earnhardt Jr. making Hendrick one of the most successful teams in the sport today.

But who has what it takes to challenge the folks at Hendrick for NASCAR supremacy in '08?

Richard Childress Racing had a great 2007 landing all three of its drivers in the Chase. Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer all found Victory Lane and had some success in COT races, with Bowyer's win coming at New Hampshire. Maintaining that level of success isn't easy, and the boys at RCR will have to show they weren't a one-year wonder come Jan. 7.

Joe Gibbs Racing has to be considered a threat with two time champion Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and ex-Hendrick star Kyle Busch. Those three won three of the COT races last season and all three were in the Chase. But there is a huge unknown with JGR and that is how well it will perform now that it's with Toyota.

Roush Fenway really struggled to find itself last season, but in the second half of the season started turning it around. In all, Roush Fenway won seven events last season, second to Hendrick with Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Jamie McMurray all finding Victory Lane.

Edwards had the most success in a COT, winning races at Bristol and Dover, both late in the season. The 2008 season will be the first time in three years there has been no driver turnover at Roush Fenway so a lot will be learned about this organization at Preseason Thunder. With the COT making its first laps at Daytona, RFR will have to prove they have closed the gap with Hendrick.